My Waters Broke at 18 Weeks. Doctors Advised Me to Terminate—I Refused

My waters broke at 18 weeks and five days, and doctors informed me that my daughter would not survive. Initially, I was unaware that this was the case, as there was no pain and only a small amount of fluid loss. I learned later that I had experienced a preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM), which occurs when the amniotic sac breaks before 37 weeks of pregnancy and before labor begins.

This condition had never crossed my mind, and it wasn't until two weeks after I noticed the rupture that my waters finally fully broke. This experience felt like something out of a horror film. As time passed, I was taken to the emergency room, only to be reassured that my baby would not survive, as viability for life was only 24 weeks.

Despite this grim prognosis, I remained steadfast in my faith and refused to accept this fate for my daughter. I chose to defy the doctors' advice, hoping to hold on to my pregnancy for as long as possible. After two weeks in the labor and delivery ward, one of the doctors admitted that there was still a possibility of maintaining my pregnancy, given that my body had not initiated contractions naturally.

Determined by my Christian faith, I embarked on a journey of 70 days of bed rest, defying the odds and ultimately delivering my daughter at 30 weeks. Though faced with a challenging future, my faith sustained me, and I chose to love and nurture my baby girl, Sonora, even if her chances of survival were low.